This blog is run as an addition to my www.HistoryOfTheYankees.com website. My main website is an in-depth historical and biographical look at the New York Yankees. The blog is to serve as a place for postings and current happenings on the Yankees. I look forward to your visit and insight and hope you enjoy the season. Thanks for visiting.

Thursday, April 30, 2009

The "Melk" man delivers as well as Pena as the Yankees bail out A.J. and get the 7-4 win at Yankee Stadium. In the rain, the Yankees took the game over. Rivera got his 5th save of the year as the Yankees move to 2 games over .500 on the season. Lets hope the Yankees come out fired up tomorrow.....

Nick stays hot and hits 2 HRs in the win. Mo got hit hard, but the Yankees held on for the 8-6 win. Joba looked very good in his start and made a lot of good pitches early in the count to stay ahead of hitters. Let get another win tonight!

Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Great performance by Phil Hughes to "right" the ship and get the Yankees back in the win column. The bats finally woke up late and the Yankees put a 10 spot on the board in one inning. Girardi needs to keep this team focused until A-Rod returns. Tex still looks horrible at this point and it killing the Yankees. He will not get a nice reception when he returns to Yankee Stadium unless he turns things around soon. Need another W tonight....

PS - Good job by the Yankees on the cutting of ticket prices. At least they saw their error and tried to make a change. Some will argue it is not enough, but time will tell. The question is, what to do for next season? They must lower ticket prices all around....

Saturday, April 25, 2009

Last night's loss is another example of why the RedSox currently "own" the Yankees. The Red Sox have gotten into the heads of the Yankees and the worse part about it is that the Yankees are allowing it to happen. We need to look back at Varitek going after A-Rod on July 24, 2004. Since that confrontation between the two, the RedSox have dominated the Yankees, both physically and mentally. After Ortiz's comments hit the New York papers on Friday, the Yankees had a chance last night to try and rechart history and make a statement. And what a better way that to have Joba step up on the mound and deliver a purpose pitch to let the Red Sox know the Yankees are back and not taking it anymore. Ortiz came and went, and finally Yuke' stepped into the box. Joba let both batters off without a statement pitch and the rest is history. I am never for throwing at someone with the intent to injure, but there are times when a pitcher must make a statement and last night the Yankees lost another opportunity to show some guts and try to regain what is rightfully theirs...their pride. Pride and heart is something this team has not showed in years and last night was another example of why it has been lost. Ortiz choose to make the statements in the newspaper and tried to get into the head of Joba and the Yankees....and it worked. Joba never looked comfortable on the mound and after he failed to cover homeplate on the past ball, he never had a chance. Ortiz, Yuke', and the rest of the Red Sox team once again showed why this rivalry has been dominated by them since the Varitek/A-Rod confrontation 5 short years ago. I am not sure at this point if the Yankees have what it takes to rebound. Yes, it is early in the season, but once again they showed a lack of heart and a desire to "right the ship" against the Red Sox. Even if they win the next two games in the series, Friday night will be the game remembered. Bottom line is that if Jeter made the comments in the paper that Ortiz did, Beckett would have put a pitch in Jeter's left ear the first at-bat of the game. I hope the Yankees do not get stupid today and try to retaliate now. It is too late and today it would be meaningless. And Posada....love the guy....but to strikeout 3 times in his first 3 plate appearances was a joke. He barely lifted the bat off of his shoulder. You could even see Varitek with a grin each time his sat down after another K. I am not sure at this point what will turn this team around, but at this point, the Red Sox DOMINATE the Yankees and I give them all the credit in the world. They dominate them physically and mentally, the latter being the most important. We have to look back and find two names, Tanyon Sturtze and Don Zimmer. Those were the only two guys in Pinstripes that ever showed any guts going after the Red Sox. Zimmer got knocked to the ground by Pedro, and Tanyon came away bloodied and battered, but he still has his pride in tact after taking on 3 Red Sox players himself! I can only hope they win these last two and try to salvage a series that has already been lost.

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Listen to or visit the two hour show celebrating the 86th Anniversary, history & majesty of Old Yankee Stadium-The House That Ruth Built- Home of 39 Pennant Winning & 26 World Champion New York Yankee Teams

World Debut of Yankee Stadium: The House That Ruth Built by Murderers Rowfeaturing Chris Risola Live Performance of Babe Ruth, No. 3 featuring Chuck Howell_________________________________________________

Monday, April 27, from 11 AM to 1Pm @Foley's New York[Near the Empire State Building]

Sunday, April 19, 2009

1.) How many switch hitters did the late 1930s team that won 4-straight World Series titles (1936-1939) have on it?2.) Name the 3 pitchers that have amassed over 1,500 career strikeouts with the Yankees.3.) How many Hall of Famers were in the starting lineup when public address announcer Bob Sheppard made his Yankees debut on April 17, 1951?4.) Who was the 1st Yankee to collect over 50 doubles in a single season?5.) Who was the first Yankees outfielder to win a Gold Glove Award?6.) Who was the only Yankees player to hit for the cycle during the 1970's?7.) Who was the first modern era free-agent signed by the Yankees? What year was he signed?8.) Who was the only Yankees player to be named AL Rookie of the Year during the decade of the 1980's?

1.) None2.) Red Ruffing(1,526), Ron Guidry(1,778), and Whitey Ford(1,956)3.) 5 - Phil Rizzuto, Mickey Mantle, Joe DiMaggio, johnny Mize, and Yogi Berra4.) Lou Gehrig has 52 in 1927.5.) Norm Siebern(1958)6.) Bobby Murcer accomplished the feat on August 29, 1972 against the Rangers. He did it in the 1st game of a double-header.7.) Jim Catfish hunter was signed on December 31, 1974.8.) Dave Righetti in 1981.

There is nothing to say except that was horrible and the Yankees should be ashamed. That was completely embarrassing and they looked worse that a High School team. Girardi better get things going or he will be gone!!!! Ramirez and Veras need to be designated for assignment ASAP. GONE! Wang....what can be done.....?????? Enough said....

Well, I went to the new stadium today, and overall it is beautiful. I will go into more detail at a later date as I admit I am beat and heading back tomorrow. I live about 2 hours from the stadium, so it is a long day for me. Overall I would give it an A-/B+.

It is the old stadium? Nothing will ever compare to the Old Yankee Stadium. It was the greatest in the world.

Game was great and C.C. pitched well, but not great. The bullpen blew it, but the lack of offense did not help. If the Yankees had scored 3 or 4 runs early when they had chances, they would not have been in that position in the first place.

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Well the Yankees embarrassed themselves and everyone else in NY last night in a 15-5 loss to the Rays. I heard they were embarrassed and they should be. My question is this, why is it only the Yankees that lose games like this, 15-5, 17-2, 23-3 and so on? I have had enough of these kinds of loses. It is like they do not care. Yes, I know they do, but how does this team continue to lose games like this. Wang is a joke at this point and he looks lost. Will he be able to regain his old form? He ERA is over 28! Yes, it is early, but early indications are that he is not close to ready to pitching again. 3-4 record and need to get back to .500 tonight. Lets go Yankees!

Sunday, April 12, 2009

The Yankees finally have a winning record, though it is very early in the season. C.C. got back on track and pitched a great game in the Yankees 6-1 win. The Yankees won 6-1 and C.C. earned his first win in Pinstripes. Sabathia allowed 6 hits over 7 2/3 innings with ZERO walks and 6 Strikeouts, an opposite poerformance from his first start. He also lowered his ERA to 4.50. Veras allowed 1 ER to close the game out. Nick Swisher continues with the hot bat with another homerun and raised his batting average to .538 on the season. It will be hard to Girardi to sit him down at this point. Even though Cano went hitless in the win, he is still batting over .400 on the season. He needs a huge turnaround this season and so far he looks like he is going to have one. Joba pitches today. His first start and after the comments he made about New Yorkers were released. It will be an interesting press-conference after the game, win or lose. Lets hope it is a win!

I had two chance encounters with George Steinbrenner and both were memorable. I was sitting in his office at Yankee Stadium with the late Robert Merrill, the great opera singer, who for many Yankee fans was better known as the man who sang the "Star Spangled Banner." I was interviewing Merrill for a profile. This was late 1980s. Steinbrenner charged in, military stance, bristly and in charge. "What the hell are you doing here?" he snapped at me. "I was invited in here by Mr. Merrill." "What for?" When I explained, the Yankee principal owner relaxed and told me to get myself a drink. I declined saying I wanted to fully concentrate on my interviewing job at hand. Hearing that and no longer of interest to him apparently, Steinbrenner exited. The second meeting was around the same era at Madison Square Garden at half time in the VIP quarters where drinks flowed freely and most tried to show off their hoop IQs. Steinbrenner came by and exchanged pleasantries with the late Red Holzman, then the former and legendary coach of the New York Knicks who I was with. "The Boss" then turned to me. "And you are writing Red's autobiography." "Yes," I said. Those two encounters with G. Steinbrenner revealed a lot about the man. But those two encounters only were surface insights. To read "George" by Peter Golenbock (Wiley, $26.95, 366 pages) is to get the total package of a complex, driven, nasty man who has his "good side," too. "George" is a page turner carefully crafted by one of America's most skilled sports authors. It is a book that is part Golenbock autobiography but all Steinbrenner. Sub-titled "The Poor Little Rich Boy Who Built The Yankee Empire," is a tome created over a couple of decades from more than 100 interviews and prodigious research. Golenbock, a best selling author several times over, has out-done himself in this sweeping narrative of George Steinbrenner's life and times. Golenbock has out-done himself in this terrific tome that gives an up close and sometimes too personal portrait of the man many have called "the Boss." To read "George" is to read the definitive book on the principal owner of the Yankees.

BOOKENDS: "The Baseball Economist" by J. C. Bradbury (Plume, $15.00, 337 pages, paper) is a treatise and an argument about many of baseball's cherished myths - like steroids are not the reason for behind the breaking of home run records, etc."The 1969 Miracle Mets" by Steven Travers (The Lyons Press, $24.95, 185 pages) was created to pay homage to one of the more popular NYC baseball teams. Unfortunately, it falls short in many ways ­ priced too high for too little, rehashing rehashed data and recycling stock photos ­ Met fans deserve better.

==============================Harvey Frommer is his 33rd consecutive year of writing sports books. The author of 40 of them including "New York City Baseball,1947-1957? and "Shoeless Joe and Ragtime Baseball". His "Remembering Yankee Stadium: An Oral and Narrative History of the House that Ruth Built" (Abrams, Stewart, Tabori and Chang) was published in 2008 as well as a reprint version of his "Shoeless Joe and Ragtime. His REMEMBERING FENAY PARK will be published in 2010.============================================Frommer sports books are available direct from the author - discounted and autographed. FROMMERSPORTSNET (syndicated) reaches a readership in excess of one million and appears on Internet search engines for extended periods of time. ===============================================**Last call for Fenway Memories - now working on "Remembering *****Fenway Park" - will feature stories­ first game attended, marker moments, odd events, tales of a special player at the Fens, architectural features... Please contact me by e-mail if you have something to contribute.

Friday, April 10, 2009

The Yankees moved to .500 today with a 2-2 record after Pettitte and the Yankees held the Royals to 1 run in a 4-1 win. Pettitte looked pretty sharp in allowing only 3 hits over 7 innings. Swisher continues to remain hot. Lets hope the Yankees can continue on this "winning streak" as C.C. Sabathia tried to rebound from a horrible opening day game. We are still not sure of what the heating pad was all about, but I am sure we will know more for sure soon enough.

Nice to finally grab a win and get a W in the right column. The Yankees finally came alive and won a game in Baltimore. The long road trip continues until the Yankees come home on April 16 against the Indians in their home opener. I am counting the days down and cannot wait to go! Lets hope the Yankees can keep up with the Royals who are off to a good start themselves. Lets go Yankees! Nice to see A.J. and 1-0. Lets hope this rubs off on the rest of the Yankees pitching staff.

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Los Angeles Angels pitcher Nick Adenhart and two others were killed by a suspected drunk driver Thursday, a shocking end to the life of a rookie who had overcome major elbow surgery to realize his big league dreams.The accident in neighboring Fullerton occurred hours after the 22-year-old pitcher made his season debut with his father in the stands, throwing six scoreless innings against the Oakland Athletics. The Angels ultimately lost the game, 6-4.The team postponed Thursday night's game with Oakland, the final one of their season-opening series. "It is a tragedy that will never be forgotten," manager Mike Scioscia said at an Angel Stadium news conference.Adenhart's father, Jim, a retired Secret Service agent, walked onto the field in the empty stadium Thursday and spent several moments alone on the pitcher's mound. Wearing a red sweatshirt, the Angels' color, he briefly covered his eyes with one hand.Jim Adenhart also spoke during a closed-door meeting of players and team officials."He just wanted to say thank you for the opportunity, thank you for raising his kid in minor league ball on up through the system in the Angels' organization," outfielder Torii Hunter said.Nick Adenhart was a passenger in a silver Mitsubishi Eclipse that was broadsided in an intersection about 12:30 a.m. by a minivan that apparently ran a red light, police said.The impact spun around both vehicles, and one then struck another car but that driver was not hurt, police said.The minivan driver fled the crash on foot and was captured about 30 minutes later. Police identified him as Andrew Thomas Gallo, 22, of Riverside, and said he had a suspended license because of a previous drunken driving conviction.Preliminary results indicated Gallo's blood-alcohol level was "substantially over the legal limit" of .08 percent, police Lt. Kevin Hamilton said.Gallo was interviewed by investigators before he was booked in jail Thursday on three counts of murder, three counts of vehicular manslaughter, felony hit-and-run and felony driving under the influence of alcohol, Hamilton said. Gallo was being held without bail.A spokeswoman for the Orange County district attorney's office said charges against Gallo likely wouldn't be filed Thursday because police were still investigating. Hamilton said he didn't immediately know if Gallo had an attorney.Adenhart died in surgery at the University of California, Irvine Medical Center. Henry Nigel Pearson of Manhattan Beach, a 25-year-old passenger in the car, and the driver, 20-year-old Courtney Frances Stewart of Diamond Bar, were pronounced dead at the scene, police said.Nick Adenhart was a passenger in the Mitsubishi that was broadsided; two others were killed, and a fourth is in critical condition.Stewart was a student at nearby Cal State Fullerton, where she was a cheerleader in 2007-08.Another passenger, 24-year-old Jon Wilhite of Manhattan Beach, was in critical condition at UC Irvine Medical Center, although he was expected to survive, a hospital spokesman said. Wilhite played baseball from 2004-08 at Cal State Fullerton.Stewart's mother said her daughter and Adenhart had known each other since last season but were not dating as far as she knew, Hamilton said.The mother said Adenhart and the others had gone dancing at a club about a block away from the crash site, although the crash scene appeared to indicate the car was heading in the direction of the club, Hamilton said.At the ballpark Wednesday night, Adenhart did his job. He scattered seven hits over six scoreless innings and escaped twice after loading the bases in just his fourth major league start."I battled early and it felt good to get out of some jams," he said.Adenhart left with a 4-0 lead before the bullpen gave away what would have been his second major league victory.During Thursday's closed-door session, "we were just kind of reminiscing about what Nick brought to the team, to the clubhouse," Hunter said as he drove out of the players' parking lot."He was a very funny kid and he's going to be missed," he said. "Every time you come to the stadium and you go in that clubhouse, you're looking at Nick Adenhart's locker.""A lot of these guys in here have never lost anybody in their family that's close to them. I hate that this happened, but this is part of life. This is the real deal," he said. "That's why you've got to kiss your kids, kiss your family every day when you get up in the morning and before you leave for work."Adenhart had made a slow climb to reach the majors.He hurt his pitching elbow two weeks before the June 2004 major league draft, when he was projected as a top-five pick out of Williamsport High in Maryland.But the setback dropped him to the 14th round, where the Angels selected him. He underwent Tommy John surgery -- a reconstructive operation on an elbow ligament -- later that month and spent most of next four seasons in the minors.Police apprehended Andrew Gallo half an hour after he fled the scene of the crash.Adenhart struggled with a 9.00 ERA in three starts for the Angels last season, but Scioscia said last month the right-hander had worked hard over the winter and arrived at spring training with a purpose.He was made the No. 3 starter as the season began this week because of injuries to John Lackey, Ervin Santana and Kelvim Escobar, all of whom are on the disabled list.Adenhart's father had flown out from Baltimore to attend the game."He told his dad that he'd better come here, that something special was going to happen," said Scott Boras, Adenhart's agent, who wept at the stadium news conference.After the game, "He was so elated ... he felt like a major leaguer," Boras said.The agent said he spoke with Adenhart and his father, in the clubhouse lobby until about 11:30 p.m. The pitcher and his father were staying at a nearby hotel.Adenhart's mother, Janet, was flying to Anaheim. His parents were divorced."To, I think, focus on his loss is not what we need to do here today, we need to focus on who Nick was and his achievement," Boras said. "His parents really want to communicate to everyone that it's a very difficult moment, but it's also a very special moment because Nick was most accomplished and his life's goal was to be a major league baseball player and he certainly achieved that standard."The tragedy adds another chapter to the Angels' string of misfortune over the years.Just this week, a 27-year-old fan died after being assaulted at Angel Stadium on opening day.Infielder Chico Ruiz and rookie pitcher Bruce Heinbechner were killed in car accidents in the early 1970s, as was shortstop Mike Miley in 1977. The following year, star outfielder Lyman Bostock was shot and killed late in the season in Gary, Ind.In 1989, reliever Donnie Moore shot his wife and then killed himself three years after giving up a big home run that kept the Angels from winning the American League pennant.A small but steady stream of somber fans came to the stadium Thursday to add flowers to a makeshift memorial on the pitcher's mound on the brick "infield" outside the stadium entrance.A poster among the bouquets read, "No. 34, You are one more Angel in heaven." Scribbled on a baseball was, "Now you play for another Angels team."

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

Well, enough said. The Yankees looked horrible yesterday and C.C. was looking for the buffet table more than he was the strikezone. I will give him a pass this one time as I will blame it on nerves and the pressure of pitching for the Yankees. But in reality, I am upset and angered by his lack of being able to locate a fastball. It is early, and I will not get on him yet, but C.C. and the Yankees better get things going soon. As I write this, they are getting destroyed 7-2 in the 8th inning in Baltimore again. Wang has looked horrible and his "sinker" has done anything but sink. The bats are quiet once again. I will be at the home opener for the Yankees and C.C. is scheduled to pitch. At this point, I am not very excited. But lets hope he gets things turned around sooner than later and the Yankees come into their home opener at or above the .500 mark.

Friday, April 3, 2009

Another season, another opening day. The old Yankee Stadium still stands but the new one (as if we needed it) is in place poised for its first opening day. One of the most memorable of openings days at the "House That Ruth Built" took place in 1927 when the old Yankee Stadium was just four years old. Owner Colonel Jacob Ruppert was very upbeat about prospects for baseball in 1927 but was muted in his predictions for his team. He did not seem to have a clue as to what tremendous accomplishments lay ahead for his Yankees. "Everything indicates that 1927 will be one of the most remarkable in baseball history," Ruppert told reporters. Although born in New York, he had never lost the German accent inherited from his paternal grandfather. It was an accent that became thicker when he became emotional, usually when talking about the Yankees.On April 10th , a New York Times headline proclaimed:"BIG LEAGUE SEASON TO OPEN ON TUESDAY: Yanks Will Greet Athletics, Picked by Many to Win Flag, at the Stadium" "Well, it won't be long now," James R. Harrison wrote in The Times. "Only a few days more and the greatest show on earth will be on. Tired business men will lock their desks and go uptown for an important "conference" at 3:30 P.M. The mortality rate among the grandparents of office boys will take an alarming jump . . ."Everything was in readiness for the Yankees of New York beginning their fifth season at their majestic Yankee Stadium home field in the Bronx."The big parade toward Yankee Stadium started before noon yesterday," Peter Vischer described Opening Day 1927 in the New York World. "Subways brought ever-increasing crowds into the Bronx. Taxicabs arrived by the hundreds. Buses came jammed to the doors. The parade never stopped.""Yankee Stadium was a mistake, not mine but the Giants'," Ruppert had said. The site was chosen for among other reasons to irritate the Yankees former landlords the Giants and because the IRT Jerome Avenue subway line snaked its way virtually atop the Stadium's right-field wall.Built at a cost of $2.5 million, "The Yankee Stadium", as it was originally named, and nick-named "the House that Ruth Built,"when the park first opened in 1923 by Fred Lieb always one especially handy coming up with a catch phrase, had a brick-lined vault storing electronic equipment under second base, making it feasible to have a boxing ring and press area on the infield. Yankee Stadium was the first ballpark to be called a stadium. A mammoth horseshoe shaped by triple-decked grandstands, the edifice's huge wooden bleachers circled the park. The 10,712 upper-grandstand seats and 14,543 lower grandstand seats had been fixed in place by 135,000 individual steel castings upon which 400,000 pieces of maple lumber were fastened by more than a million screws. Sod from Long Island, 16,000 square feet of it, was trucked in. The Stadium had eight toilet rooms for men and as many for women scattered throughout the stands and bleachers, a nice touch for the time. A 15-foot deep copper facade adorned the front of the roof, covering much of the Stadium's third deck, giving it an elegant almost dignified air. This decorative and distinctive element was the ball park's logo.Seating capacity in 1927 was now 62,000, increased from 58,000. The admission price for the 22,000 bleacher seats (the most in baseball) was reduced in 1927 from 75 cents to 50 cents. Grandstand admission was $1.10. All wooden seats were painted blue. In right center field there was a permanent "Ruthville" sign. Sometimes , the area was also called "Gehrigville".The left-field pole was but a short 281-foot poke from home plate. It was 415 feet to left, 490 feet to left center, 487 feet to dead center, 429 feet to right center, 344 feet to right, and 295 feet down the right field line. The 82 feet behind home plate made for plenty of room for a catcher to run and chase wild pitches, passed balls, foul balls. Above the bleachers in right centerfield was the manual scoreboard. The Yankee bullpen looked out on left centerfield. The dark green Yankee dugout was on the third base side of the field and remained there until 1946. "By game time the vast structure was packed solid," Peter Vicher's article continued. "April 12, 1927, Opening Day at Yankee Stadium. Rows of men were standing in back of the seats and along the runways. Such a crowd had never seen a baseball game or any other kind of game in New York."The crowd was the largest in all the history of baseball, 73,206, breaking the previous attendance record of 63,600 that had been set in Game 2 of the 1926 World Series. Another 25,000 were turned away.There were 9,000 guests of the New York Yankees plus one thousand who were able to get in with passes.On the balmy, almost summery day, the Seventh Regiment Band dressed in gray outfits began playing with vim and gusto. Red coated ushers, really into their effort of trying to keep the level of behavior orderly, worked the crowd, seating people. At 3:25 the string bean manager Cornelius McGillicuddy (Connie Mack) of the Philadelphia Athletics, in dark civilian clothes and high stiff collar who was featured on that week's Time Magazine cover, and the wisp of a Yankee pilot Miller Huggins posed for photographs.Mayor Jimmy Walker, 45, typified New York City and the 1920s. A svelte, more dressed up model of the gregarious Babe Ruth, Walker in 1927 was happily involved with Betty Compton, 23, an actress. The two of them, it was said, had a gay time of it in their Ritz Hotel suite. Largely ignoring public mention of the relationship, the press instead gave lots of attention to the way Walker dressed, the parties he attended, the stories he told.Urbane, dashing, positioned in Ruppert's private box, the Mayor threw out the first ball - twice, taking no chance to miss a photo op, to Eddie Bennett, referred to in newspapers of the time as "the hunchback bat boy."Bennett gave players their bats, presented baseballs to umpires. He let his cap and hump be rubbed by Yankees before games. He sat on the bench next to Miller Huggins, observing and pointing out things out on the field, a kind of precursor to today's bench coaches. He would bring bicarbonate of soda to Babe Ruth before every game generally during batting practice after the big man had downed his massive quota of hot dogs and soda pop.Ruth and Bennett would create laughs for early arrivals at the Stadium by engaging in a highly animated game of catch. Starting about ten feet apart, they would toss the ball back and forth. Ruth would throw the ball after a while about a foot above Bennett's reach, and he would scamper after it. They would repeat the routine and the Yankee mascot would bitch a bit to the Babe who would feign total innocence. The game continued until Bennett found himself backed up against the screen behind home plate. To some, the whole ritual was viewed as cruel behavior on Ruth's part, a taunting, shaming of a cripple. It wasn't - just two guys playing around. On this day of days, the Yankees had two loud voiced announcers using megaphones to inform the crowd of the on-the- field goings on. Previously one megaphoner had sufficed, colorful Jack Lentz, longtime announcer, who wore a derby hat and sometimes mangled the King's English. He was joined by George Levy, who had made a reputation working the Polo Grounds. He wore a soft hat and made use of a smallish megaphone. The work of the announcers was simple: speak the name of each player as he came to bat; keep silent after that except when a new player entered the game.Knowledgeable fans noticed a significant change in New York's white wool flannel home uniforms for 1927. "Yankees" was now on the front of the jersey rather than the name of the city. Navy blue vertical pinstripes and stirrups accentuated the uniform. Players wore navy blue caps with a white interlocking "NY" in script on the front. The v-necked shirts had a brief tapered extension around the neck. Sleeves extended over the elbows, and the knicker pants reached just below the knees. Belts and cleats were black. On the road, the team from the Bronx would wear a gray uniform with "YANKEES" in navy blue block letters across the chest, and two colored stirrups, navy blue on top and rust on bottom.By noon, a carnival-like atmosphere pervaded the area around Yankee Stadium. Swarms of hawkers, vendors, gawkers and fans intermingled in a circus of sounds and colors.By three o'clock most unreserved seats had been snatched up. Lines of police were at River Avenue in the back of the park and also along the approaches in front of the Stadium. New York's Finest checked carefully allowing only those with tickets to pass.It was exactly half past three when the game got underway.

The Yankees, scoring four runs in the fifth and sixth innings, triumped , 8-3, They were n first place where they would remain day in and day out throughout the season.

Harvey Frommer is his 33rd consecutive year of writing sports books. The author of 40 of them including the classics: "New York City Baseball,1947-1957" and "Shoeless Joe and Ragtime Baseball," his acclaimed REMEMBERING YANKEE STADIUM, an oral/narrative history (Abrams, Stewart, Tabori and Chang) was published in 2008 as well as a reprint version of his classic "Shoeless Joe and Ragtime Baseball." The prolific Frommer is at work on REMEMBERING FENWAY PARK (2010).Frommer sports books are available direct from the author - discounted and autographed.FROMMERSPORTSNET (syndicated) reaches a readership in the millions and is housed on Internet search engines for extended periods of time.http://www.dartmouth.edu/~frommer.

Wednesday, April 1, 2009

TAMPA, Fla. -- One day after Bob Sheppard said that he was looking forward to announcing games at the new Yankee Stadium, The New York Times reported that Sheppard was planning to retire instead.Paul Doherty, a friend and agent who has represented Sheppard, told the Times that Sheppard's son, Paul, told him about Sheppard's plans on Wednesday morning. The Yankees denied the report, stating that Sheppard continues to be their official public-address announcer."We have spoken to Paul Sheppard, and he was very clear to us that the report made is categorically untrue," said Yankees director of public relations Jason Zillo. "Paul Sheppard has not said anything remotely like that."The Yankees did announce on Tuesday that Sheppard would be unavailable at the commencement of the 2009 season, including the first exhibition games against the Cubs at the new Yankee Stadium this weekend and the April 16 home opener."I will not be able to be at Yankee Stadium for the series with the Cubs or Opening Day," Sheppard said in a statement released by the team. "My personal physician advised me to wait until I am ready. It is in the hands of God. I am looking forward to doing games in the new Stadium."Sheppard -- nicknamed "The Voice of Yankee Stadium" and known for his clear, concise style -- did not appear at Yankee Stadium in person during the 2008 season due to a bronchial infection and his continuing recovery, though Derek Jeter used a recording of Sheppard for all of his home at-bats."I'll always come up to Bob Sheppard," Jeter said last year.Sheppard taped a video message for the final Yankee Stadium game last Sept. 21, reading the lineups from his Baldwin, N.Y., home and providing a valedictory honoring the Yankees and their home since 1923."Farewell, old Yankee Stadium, farewell," Sheppard recited. "What a wonderful story you can tell. DiMaggio, Mantle, Gehrig and Ruth. A baseball Cathedral in truth."While Sheppard remains as the Yankees official public-address announcer, Paul Olden will substitute for Sheppard on April 3, 4 and 16.A 12-time Super Bowl public-address announcer, Olden's broadcasting career spanned 17 years, including two seasons in the Yankees' television broadcast booth alongside Bobby Murcer and Phil Rizzuto from 1995-96.The Yankees have not said who would continue as the public-address announcer if Sheppard is unable to resume his duties past the home opener.The 2009 season marks the 58th anniversary of Sheppard's debut as the Yankees' public-address announcer. His first game was on Opening Day, April 17, 1951, when the Yankees defeated the Boston Red Sox, 5-0.To commemorate his service to the club, the Yankees have named the media dining room in the new Yankee Stadium "Sheppard's Place."

Favorite Websites

Amazon Deals

Subscribe To

About Me

Welcome! I hope you enjoy www.HistoryOfTheYankees.com and the blog to help keep you updated on the history of the Yankees and current events. Sign-up and be heard today. I look forward to your posts! Here's to a great season for baseball and the Yankees.
Brad